Ride Safety Regulation

IAAPA Guideline for Effective Amusement Ride Safety Regulation

IAAPA promotes and advocates for the adoption of effective amusement ride safety legislation at the most appropriate level of government. Safety is our industry’s number one priority and the oversight provided by effective regulation is an important addition to steps taken by manufacturers and owner/operators to ensure that amusement rides are one of the safest forms of recreation.

Throughout the world, IAAPA staff and members work with regulatory authorities, inspection bodies, and standard development organizations to develop safety standards and regulations. These standards and regulations should be developed in consultation with industry stakeholders.

Elements of Effective Regulation:

• Recognize Amusement Ride Safety Standards
  Regulation should incorporate existing ride safety standards established by one of the following bodies:
  • ASTM International Committee F24 on Amusement Rides and Devices

COMMENTS: ASTM has been writing amusement ride safety standards for more than three decades with input of thousands of hours from industry experts. They are robust covering design, manufacture, operations, maintenance, and inspection of a wide range of amusement rides and devices. They are well recognized and adopted in many states throughout the country.

• Empower an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
  • The AHJ should be empowered to provide the permit to Owner/Operators to operate rides that comply with the regulation.
  • Provide sufficient appropriation of education and funding to the AHJ to effectively enforce amusement ride safety regulations.

COMMENTS: The AHJ should have access to qualified inspectors and educational programs. There is a global network of independent ride inspectors with extensive experience in enforcing harmonized industry standards and inspector training programs are available for self-inspecting AHJ`s.

• Require Periodic Inspections

In addition to routine inspection and maintenance activities by trained and qualified Owner/Operator personnel, every

amusement ride and device should be inspected periodically by a qualified inspector.

• Require Incident Reporting

The Owner/Operator should report any amusement ride incident to the AHJ where a person was seriously injured and in need of an overnight stay at a medical facility.

• Require Post-Incident Investigation

Investigations of reported incidents should be conducted by a qualified investigator in a timely manner.

COMMENTS: Notification of such incidents allows for review and potential identification of root causes to prevent future incidents.

• Rider Responsibility

COMMENTS: Rider responsibility legislation aids in deterring riders from engaging in certain conduct that may increase the risk of injury to the rider, to other riders or to employees working at the location.